Have I earned it ?

I don't happen to listen to the President's or the Prime Minister's address on the 15th of August or the 26th of Jan. Normally! Past few years have given me the benefit of doubt, in terms of staying in hostels, work life, no TV at apartment, etc. This time I happened to be at home and dad as usual asked me to renounce my rights on the TV remote, for he wanted to watch the live telecast (Read he's very religious with such stuff). Reluctantly I sat through the whole speech. Not that I was paying attention, but the line 'Our ancestors have earned it with great efforts' caught my ears.

Seriously, being born and brought up in an Independent India, I am like that Indian, who has not voted till date, who has no idea when the budget gets announced and how it affects people, who does not care if its the Prime minister or the President addressing the nation, who has ideas about improving things but is still clueless about what she is going to do about it, who does not even know (till recently) who heads which ministry in the newly elected parliament, who follows bollywood/hollywood with fervor and gusto, but has shamelessly poor appetite for national news. (I hope and pray that you agree with 'at least one' of these!)

In short I do symbolize the Rang de Basanti youth (though I know I wont go to their heights to bring about a change). I belong to the generation who are a link between the coming 'super power India' and the 'generation our parents belonged to when they were young'.

I think though we have heard and learnt about India's Independence struggle and the stories, my generation is more about individualism. I find great satisfaction in being independent. But my independence means, having my space (my blog!), being able to take my own decisions (whether to write this particular post or not :|), doing things at my will (well, of course I am talking about staying up late :P), having the courage to stand by my own decisions (deciding to buy a new brand of shampoo to solve the agonising problem of hair fall!!??), etc etc. This can be called micro independence. I think this is what the freedom fighters fought for. A free individuals country! The individuals rights!

And I think we all have earned it if,

we have thought about the power of choices we make everyday.

we have been responsible and considered the effect of our decisions.

we have acknowledged the importance of being independent and to be able to take our own decisions.

we have not taken our independence for granted.

(I speak in collective pronoun cos it somehow makes me feel less guilty if I have failed my independence anywhere)

I know I speak in self introspection. The post was supposed to be less serious and more funny. Guess I lost it somewhere.

To many such independence days to come, which make me value it and treasure it :)

~nightflier!